So I’ve had Palpitations since 2015 with a constant aching or burning sensation in the left of my chest. I’ve had countless ecgs, and echos. I’ve had a stress test and a cardiac anagram all came back clear.
I’m still getting symptoms and sometimes I feel light headed with it. My pulse sits around 58-60 but when stood up can rise to 110.
I’ve never smoked and don’t really drink I eat healthy most of the time and exercise
My sister has pots but not sure it’s related.
I’m pretty much at the end of my patience with it, having seen 4 cardiologist and still not sure what’s going on. The only thing they can confirm is that it’s nothing serious.
If anyone has had a similar experience I’d been keen to know how you moved forward with it.
Thanks,
Carl
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Carl98k
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Oh I see. I only notice mine what sat, they disappear when I exercise and don’t seem to have them when I first wake up. Very strange though, but apparently nothing serious.
I was originally told I’d had pericarditis caused by a viral infection. Last night I had them and my hands was sweaty and felt tingly really dizzy for about 30 seconds then back normal. I’ll let you know mate.
Hi Carl.I have exactly the same ,iv had palps on and off since my 20s,iv been for ECG blood tests and all is fine .Mine stem from having a heart phobia ,I hate hearts another story but I basically watch my dad have 3 heart attacks and I'm terrified of my heart doing the same it's a nightmare...I am on properanolol 40mg once daily and these really work by slowing the heart rate down and the papls go ,so I know how you feel ,they are not nice and very unpleasant but if you have been told you are fine and nothing serious ,take comfort from that ,cuz if you relax iv found mine stop ,it's a vicious circle ,more anxiety more papls ..hope this helps and good luck 😊
Do you drink much coffee? I don’t know about the burning sensation but the palpitations could be related to anxiety or stress. I say this as I have dealt with anxiety and stress for most of my life and a regular thing I got with it was palpitations. Before and after my heart op they were back again. If it is not stress related see what other tests you can have done. One test I had done and which diagnosed my bicuspid aortic valve and gave a lot of other info for the cardiologist was a Myocardial Perfusion Scan. If you feel there is something wrong and the regular tests are not showing anything and stress is not the problem push for more to be done.
I may have one a day, but even with a total ban it was still happening. I’ve had an ecg stress test and a CT angiogram and all came back clear. I’ll definitely ask for more tests to be done, although the cardiologist wasn’t concerned and said sometimes we get pains and can never diagnose them. So I’m not that hopeful for next week.
You need a holter monitor for at least 7 days, this will show the frequency and type of ectopics, the usual 24hour monitoring is useless. For years I was told it's nothing to worry about, anxiety, stress and all the other fob offs then a 14 day monitor showed I had heart block and Afib.
Im not suggesting you have the same but if you are getting symptoms you have to keep on at them to find the cause.
I had numerous monitors, ecg's, echos, treadmill and an angiogram which all came back as ok. Symptoms were irregular beats, fatigue, breathlessness and pre syncope, I requested a different consultant and he re ran all the tests and as I said it was the longer holter that picked it up and resulted in me having a pacemaker and meds. Have to say I do still have the ectopics but the beta blocker slows them down and any bradycardia they cause my pacemaker sorts.
You have to be persistent or they just don't bother !
Thank you, that’s very interesting. I’ve never been breathless just feel like I need to eat if that makes sense.
I’ll be pushing for more tests to be done. I was told the wait for cardiology is massive so I’ve gone through private health. I’m hoping for a quick turn around but we will see.
Hello Carl,I occasionally get fleeting pains in the area between left chest and shoulder, first time it happened went to AnE was told its muscular not heart after checks. It normally comes on after heavy lifting, but I can exercise OK. Have been under MSK for a few months and now waiting for MRI scan.
I had a chest injury about 15 years ago through weight training and it could be scar tissue that gets tweaked when heavy lifting which I try to avoid.
Have you had any injuries from your distant past come back to haunt you?
Hi, I’ve not had any injuries to my chest that I’m aware of, I sometimes get a trapped nerve in my shoulder though. This doesn’t seem to marry up to my symptoms though, ie feeling dizzy an sweaty hands. I can’t seem to find a trigger for it.
Hi Carl,I have been going through the same experiences literally word for word as you over the past couple of years so I fully understand your frustrations!
I have an episode around once every 3-4 weeks, normally of an evening when I’m sitting watching the tv. Palpitation only last few mins but then I feel fatigued sometimes for 24 hrs after. Have seen different cardiologist & had every test possible about 3 times.
The frustration is they suggest these things just happen for no reason or that it’s stress related. My last episode after I’d spent the day at the beach, I couldn’t have been more relaxed!
I truly have no stress or anxiety in my life so the frustration comes when they seem to take the easy way out & use that almost as an excuse.
All I can say is, like me, you’ve had every test possible which shows your heart is healthy & in normal working order, and so I have accepted begrudgingly that I may not get the diagnosis I want which will clarify what I experience, and so it’s learning to manage the palpitations and reducing the after effect that they can bring and trying to not let them damage normal daily routines or plans too much. Also try to take comfort in you know what they are, and how they will pass and my cardiologist has explained to me the symptoms of heart attack or stroke and that these normally differ largely from the palpitations we suffer ( ie the typical HA symptoms of sweating, huge pressure in chest etc)
Wish U luck and if you do manage to get a diagnosis please let me know!
Hi, it’s very frustrating. The last episode that made me feel ill was 2 nights ago. I’d got back in the truck and drove 5 minutes back to the yard, I parked the truck then all of a sudden started sweating and feeling light headed with a tingling in my left hand. Less than 30 seconds later all back to normal.
I cycled 20 minutes home and apart from palpitations I’ve been ok.
My sister has pots and her symptoms are very similar to mine, but I’m not wanting to assume it’s that.
I’m always tired and headaches most days despite drinking 2 litres of water a day. Hopefully this can be resolved sooner rather than later.
Hi again. Can I ask if anyone has checked your aortic valve? It could be a good thing to have it checked out. I know I said I had an attack a few days after having my aortic valve replaced, but I do still think it could have been that causing my palpitations. While they're at it get them to do a CT scan on your whole aorta too! Best wishes
I haven’t read all the other posts so apologies if it’s already been said.
My experience of palpitations is that if you go looking for them they will probably start happening.. Adrenaline can play a part with palpitations and If I sit down and think about them I can pretty much guarantee I will have a few, some days I won’t have any.
In my experience them mainly happen when stressed or nervous.
It sounds like you have been throughly checked and all is well. Try not to listen to horror stories about people with heart problems slipping through the net, it’s very rare things are missed when you have regular checks.
I try not to think about them to much unless they’re really strong then I can’t help but notice them. I had been fine for months, still had the burning sensation on the left of my chest but that’s it. But 3 weeks ago I felt like I was going to pass out for no reason at all.
I don’t think it’s anything to serious, but I do find it restricting when I have an episode.
I had/have the same, together with hypertension. From my own research I found it can link to heliobacter pylori, which I have (treatments have failed). I now take lansoprazole along with a beta blocker & hbp meds. Works ok except I have to avoid caffeine & alcohol.
I have heard similar and quite often recently. This may sound a bit odd but please bare with me. I could be completely wrong.
First a check of other symptoms
1. Are you coughing up frothy white sputum?
2. Do you have throat and vocal irritation?
3. A persistent cough?
4. Any heartburn or indigestion? (Possibly not as this can all be silent or absent)
5. A sore throat?
6. Bloating and gas?
7. Sore gums?
8. Occasional or persistent headache particularly behind the eye but not or sufficient pain to be a migraine?
9. Post nasal drip?
10. Wet or waxy ears with or without discharge ?
It is a little unusual but becoming more prevalent for patients with GERD or (more likely) LSR (lower sphincter reflux) patients to develop palpitations and other cardiovascular symptoms including orthostatic hypo/hypertension. This manifest as dizziness and sometimes tingling in parts of the body as the blood pressure changes are delayed.
I could well be wrong and certainly hang in there until you get the diagnosis you need but it’s worth considering. We treat many patients in a&e for what is poorly reported as mere heartburn when the patient is convinced they are having a cardiovascular event. Their symptoms always exceed ‘heartburn’ and require more attention, investigating and support that they are given. Heartburn may or may not be one of your symptoms but palpitations and chest discomfort / pain and changes in blood pressure particularly upon sitting and standing are becoming more common symptoms among people with GERD, LSR and stress which can be due to the gut-brain exchange. If the gut biome or lining of the stomach is damaged in anyway and depressions or anxiety ensues then a case of GERD/LSR concomitant with stress is often identified. Often overuse of aspirin and nsaid medications are a factor and is common along patients with heart concerns and hypertension . As I said, I could be completely off the mark but this is becoming a lot more common in lockdown due to stress, postural issues, changes in diet, vitamin D deffiency and a plethora of other issues .
Either way I really hope you get to the bottom of it all and recover. Hang in there!
Of the symptoms you mention I do get the following.
Heartburn
Bloating
Headaches most days, for the last week I’ve had pressure behind my left eye.
And quite dry waxy ears.
This has been ongoing since 2015, 7 months after I left the Royal Marines. I ended up with a stinking cold for a couple of weeks so the Dr put it down to pericarditis.
I find my symptoms are worse if I’m ill or been working long hours.
Okay, it’s possible that you may have Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LSR). There are tests that should be performed to confirm this and I would suggest you insist on the tests rather than follow a ‘diagnosis by treatment’ through the prescription of PPi Meds which IMPO should only be used short term anyway. GPs will usually just script Meds and see if your symptoms persist or resolve but that is not adequate in this instance as you potentially still have an underlying cardiovascular issue and that needs clarification. So, to be sure it is reflux you need ph recording of you stomach for a few days and nasal endoscopy (it has to be nasal as some of the evidence needed for a conclusive diagnosis could be found above the throat), it’s not comfortable, sorry. If that comes back clear which I suspect it may not then you are one step closer. I hope you are able to get the attention you need and deserve. And I hope that you feel better soon. Best wishes
Hi, so if I have LSR what’s the possible underlying cardiovascular issue? I’ve had stress, echo, and cardiac CT scan all showing no issues. The cardiologist is adamant my heart is fine but I just have benign palpitations.
I don’t believe that mechanism of action is well understood and despite what information there is available online I don't believe that it is a stress related response to LSR or chest discomfort as this link might suggest but I do believe a stress response is apparent and there may be a vagus nerve response (controls heart rate and blood pressure via cortisol and other stress reactive hormones and in instances of acidity or alkaline the vague nerve can become damaged or hyper-stimulated) and even interference with the gut-brain connection and gut biome due to excess alkaline or acid in the stomach. This could easily cause stress and heart palpitations without either one being caused or connected to the other directly. I have seen this. Pulses taken in the carotid artery in the neck can be slightly out of sync as a result especially when blood pressure is elevated.
It’s possible and not being looked into much. I have noticed it in cases of stress and reflux. Too often a patient is just told it’s heartburn and not cardiovascular all too quickly and easily . When it’s actually both.
Ok this makes sense now. So it’s potentially not a cardiac issue as such, but the acid could be causing my heart rate to be out of sync. I’ll definitely be speaking to my Gp and cardiologist about this. Thank you for your help.
Hi, I have replied to Carl98K re the palpitations, and noticed your reply re Lansoprazole for acid reflux. I had been on them before for acid reflux but had come off them. Then I was put on aspirin 75mg after my AD and valve replacement so was given Lansoprazole 15mg again to protect my stomach. This was four years ago and am still on them. I did try weening myself off them, but got bad indigestion and reflux so started taking them regularly again. I stopped taking the aspirin about 10 months after my AD op after the nurse on my cardiac rehab class said I should have been taken off them a long time before, she wrote to my doctor and got them stopped.Any thoughts on this please.
I had an endoscopy on Thursday morning, it turns out I’ve got an hiatal hernia! I’ve got a follow up appointment with cardiology on Wednesday next week to discuss how we proceed.
Due to my symptoms, palpitations and irregular heart rate the gastroenterologist believes an operation maybe the way forward.
It’s crazy to think that this has caused all my symptoms. Hopefully once this is sorted my palpitations will disappear.
Sounds very like me! I've had myocarditis & also problems with silent reflux which was diagnosed by ENT . I have pots aswell ,so my heart rate jumps up when I stand ,along with dizziness, palpitations, chest pain & nausea, many times accompanied with some tingling & numbness
The problem is a lot of conditions have similar symptoms. It just seems like a process of elimination. I know structurally my heart is fine and I’ve got confidence in the tests that I don’t have a blockage. I’d be happy if it is reflux and an easy fix.
I don’t normally feel dizzy, it’s just very now and then and it lasts less than a minute. But the constant burning sensation is always there.
I know exactly what you mean ,I'd been living like that for 3 years & I think it's the not knowing that's the worst! I'd try ENT they do a nasal scope ,that's how I was diagnosed, I had a gastroscopy aswell to check the stomach itself ,hope you get sorted out !
I have had palpitations for about 6 years but in 2015 I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease which I think is the cause. My only symptom so far is tremors accompanied by palpitations. I have also had ecg etc, all coming back clear. I would recommend seeing a neurologist if only to rule out Parkinson's.Regards
I seem to remember reading something about the vagus nerve responding to a hiatus hernia and causing palpitations. Very vague recollection and Dr Buttons May be able to sort out my waffle ! But I have a hh and occasional palpitations.
Hi. I had been having palpitations from my teens, they got steadily worse over the years. I used to be able to stop them with deep breathing, but even that didn't work anymore. I had so many ECG's, echos etc and nothing showed up. Like you, the doctor said it was nothing serious, nothing to worry about. I had an aortic dissection in 2017, and a replacement aortic valve. I had another palpitation attack whilst still in hospital about 7 days after my AD op and the consultant then put me on Bisoprolol (a beta blocker. He was shocked my doctor hadn't put me on them before to stop the attacks).Since I've been on the Bisoprolol I haven't had any more attacks so presume they work. I was on 5mg in the morning and 5mg at night, but we have reduced the evening dose to 2.5mg and, fingers crossed, it's still ok.
I know how worrying it can be. I did think it was my aortic valve that was to blame, but having that attack in hospital a few days after having the valve replaced, I wasn't so sure.
It seems like beta blockers are the way to go, but definitely worth trying.
I’ve been to cardiology this morning, he’s captured my ectopic beats and they’re normal. I’m having a 3 day tape fitted (again) just to make sure.
My blood pressure is normal 114/74 and previous ecgs have shown my pulse rate to be around the 64bpm mark.
So, he believes I’m showing symptoms of acid irritating my oesophagus. As the oesophagus lies behind the heart it feels like heart pain. He believes this is causing the periodic beats. The acid can also cause me to feel hypoglycaemic.
I’ve been given Omeprazol for a month to see how I get on, with a follow up in 3 weeks.
Hi Carl Unbelievable like I said before you could be writing about me I had a consultation with the gastro doctor last week and I asked him about my eptopics and he said it could be acid as well so he has put me in lanzsoprazole for 3 months
Believe it or not, I’ve been on the tablets for 2 days and it’s the first time in 6 years I’ve not had any pain in my chest. I’ve still got some palpitations but nothing as bad as before.
I'm in the same boat as you for the last year I've had palpitations stabbing pains constant flutters and nothing shows up except that have now said I have an abnormal heart beat it's took a year to get to that I'll keep you informed as I'm going for a stress test soon
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